The Writers' Club

Wednesday, May 25, 2022
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Listen while you read: "One Day"1 (Lyrics)

I've been a member of a small, unique club for more than three years now. One of my college classmates, knowing that I like to write, told me about the online PresbyCan Daily Devotional, which celebrates its 26th anniversary today. My classmate has written many PresbyCan devotionals herself and encouraged me to give it a try also. These daily devotionals are written by volunteer writers. This group is fairly elastic, with writers coming and going, but there are usually around 20 or so active members in this "writers' club" at any given time. If you're interested in writing a devotional yourself, click on the "Contribute a Devotional" link in the website menu or in the green bar at the bottom of each day's emailed devotional.

Writers submit their devotionals, and then the PresbyCan staff takes it from there. Each submission is then edited and prepared for publication. It is paired with a hymn for the day and is even recorded for those who prefer to listen to the devotional. Our editor frequently reminds us that our devotional should not just be an interesting story, but it needs to have a point. Readers should be encouraged to make some kind of application or change as a result of reading the devotional.

Though I trust that my devotionals are a blessing to others, writing devotionals has proven to be an even greater blessing to me. I find that I view life through different lenses now. I regularly see spiritual lessons in the big world all around me through my daily experiences and observations. I then sit down later and try to encapsulate those thoughts in the form of a devotional and am blessed myself in the process.

Now, let's look at the PresbyCan devotionals in a different way. These devotionals serve as a sort of conversation — albeit inaudible — between writers and readers. The writers present their ideas in words on the page, and the readers consider those thoughts. The readers may then put some of these ideas into practice in their own lives and may even pass some of those thoughts on to others, thus completing the conversational loop. Because these "conversations" are centred on God and His ways, they honour and please Him.

The writer of the book of Malachi described the process like this:

Malachi 3:16 – Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name. (NIV)

Talking about God together honours Him, and He listens and hears us. Let's keep talking!

Prayer: Dear Father, may our daily conversations bring honour to You as we talk to each other about Your majesty and goodness. Please listen and hear our conversations. Amen.

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About the author:

Gail Lundquist <gail10833@gmail.com>
Beaverton, Oregon, USA

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1 Comment

  • PresbyCan Feedback says:

    Thank you.


    Glad you joined the group, Gail. Keep talking.
    Blessings.


    Great job, Gail. I, too, see lessons everywhere. And now I have a new focus scripture.


    Amen to your observation and writing. As a PresbyCan writer, you wrote exactly how I view the entire process. Thank you.


    Thank you, Gail, for sharing this encouraging devotional with us.
    Blessings.


    Gail. Ah ha! Your words expressed a good value found in the writing, reading, sharing, and responding to writing of others to encourage the body of Christ. Thank you.


    Wowie, Gail! This is SO well written, welcoming, and full of thoughtfulness! I KNOW it will help those who read it. I am working on a long form version of it today about what has happened to me as a result of the writing.


    Good morning from beautiful Northern Ontario.
    Thank you for your message of encouragement and challenge.
    The written word is always a good way to communicate. The book says…
    “On my pages you will find all the wisdom of mankind.”
    Blessings.


    Dear Gail thank you for another of your excellent and very inspiring writings. You have a special gift from our Lord and you always show great honour to Him in the devotionals you submit. Enjoy your time with the writing groups and many blessings for your creative contributions to our morning devotionals.


    26 years, that’s wonderful! A great way to reach out to many; I learned so much since I started reading the devotionals. Such an important part of starting my day.
    Thank you for explaining the process and for all the interesting, thought-provoking posts you have written, Gail! May God continue to bless you and all the writers!


    How interesting to hear how you got involved with the PresbyCan Daily Devotional! I always enjoy your contributions, as they draw on the scriptures in a practical way, and honour God’s intervention in our lives through the life and death of His Son Jesus.
    Keep them coming! Blessings,
    (BC, CA)


    Good Morning Gail:
    Enjoyed your devotional today about the “Writers’ Club”. I often admire how people turn every day events into a spiritual experience. I quite frequently use the devotionals to have a God conversation with others to help them with whatever is happening in their life at the time.
    Thank you for writing and helping us “non-writers” put God into everyday life.
    (Ontario)


    Good morning, Gail,
    I always read the page in my last year’s diary, and I saw yesterday that I had written down that this day last year was the 25th anniversary of Presbycan. I thought I would send a note to Mr. Ross today, but I see that you were far ahead in your thinking and writing.
    It has been a rewarding, humbling, uplifting and spiritual experience to say the least.
    Thank you for your good words this morning. I love the passage you cited.
    Blessings.


    Good morning, Gail,
    Great message and encouragement to others to join the Writer’s Club of PresbyCan and join the conversation.
    Another way to join the conversation is to reply to the writers expressing your thoughts about the conversation that the writer began.
    Sharing the devotional and your thoughts to others also increases the conversation and you never know where it goes from there.
    I love that your writing has been a greater blessing to you, and you see spiritual lessons in the world around you. As I join in your prayer this morning, I hope my conversations honour God and encourage others. Thank you.


    Talking about God, hit a hurtful spot in my heart, and I am still trying to deal with that. Thank you for this devotional. I recently lost the last of my brothers, whom I have been so close to all my life, called to say good-bye, His first words to me were “if you talk about God, I am going to hang up on you”. That hurt so much, but I kept my mouth shut, thinking he cannot stop me from praying for him. We had one or two meaningless sentences, and he said I have to go I am in too much pain. He passed less than 3 months after his diagnosis. This past long weekend a delayed (due to Covid) memorial was held. He lived in a different Province than me, so I was unable to attend. In chatting with my sister-in-law before the memorial, she gave me a talking to that I was turning family members way by talking about God. My reply to her was “from what I read in the Holy Bible we are commissioned to spread the word”. She said if you keep talking about God, then you are going to be alone, and nobody will be in touch. OUCH, that hurt. Strange we were all brought up to know God and sent off to Sunday school, Seems like I am the only one who got the message.
    It still bothers that I could not witness for God when my brother was dying. Your devotional has indeed been a blessing to me. And our leader and his whole family of Ross’s have been a blessing to me for many, many years. Rev. Robin Ross’s father was my minister in Ontario, Canada, and his lovely wife Kay, my leader over the years. Our relationship goes back over many, many, years. I so love the Ross Family.
    I am not sure why I am the only one in my large family who got the message, but I am thankful I did. I am also thankful for your devotional today.
    So thankful to see others still contributing “The Daily”. Thank you and God Bless You.


    Thank you for your encouragement today. I’m pleased to be an ‘occasional ‘ member of this club, when God inspires me to share an experience. Perhaps your devotional will inspire others to share their thoughts as well.


    Dear Gail,
    Thank you, Gail, for “The Writers” Club”. Some months back now, someone from the PresbyCan Daily Devotional emailed me encouraging me to take part and write something. This was based just on what I said in my response to someone’s devotional. Now I see your letter. I’m going to call it a letter. Putting a devotional together has crossed my mind, but I’m not a prolific writer like you and others, yet I feel that God is nudging me ever closer.
    As I write to thank you for all your wonderful devotionals, thank you for encouraging me.
    (ON)

 



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